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¹ And afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and said unto Pharaoh, - Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.² Then said Pharaoh, Who is Yahweh that I should hearken to his voice, to let Israel go? I know not Yahweh, and certainly. Israel, will I not let go!

³ And they said, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us, - let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.⁴ And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore O Moses and Aaron should ye loose the people from their works? Get you to your burdens.⁵ And Pharaoh said, Lo! many - now, are the people of the land, - and are ye to make them rest from their burdens?⁶ So then Pharaoh gave command on that day, unto the taskmasters over the people and unto their overseers - saying:⁷ Ye shall no more give straw unto the people, for making the bricks as heretofore: Let them, go, themselves, so shall they gather for themselves straw:⁸ Nevertheless, the fixed number of bricks, which they have been making heretofore, shall ye lay upon them, ye shall not diminish therefrom, - for idle, they are, on this account, it is that they are making an outcry, saying, We must go our way, we must sacrifice to our God.⁹ The service must be made heavy on the men that they may labour on it, - and let them not pay regard to words of falsehood.

¹⁰ Then went forth the taskmasters of the people and their overseers, and spake unto the people, - saying, - Thus, saith Pharaoh, I am not going to give you straw,¹¹ Ye yourselves go fetch you straw, of any ye can find, - yet hath there not been diminished from your service a single thing.¹² So the people dispersed themselves throughout all the land of Egypt, - to gather stubble for straw:¹³ the taskmasters, meanwhile, being urgent saying, - Complete your works, The task of a day, in its day, as when the straw was provided.¹⁴ Then were beaten the overseers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them saying: Wherefore have ye not completed your task for making bricks, as heretofore, so also, yesterday and, to-day?

¹⁵ Then came in the overseers of the sons of Israel, and made outcry unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore shouldst thou do thus to thy servants?¹⁶ No straw, is given to thy servants, yet bricks, - they keep saying to us - make ye! And lo, thy servants, are beaten - thou dost, therefore, wrong thy people.¹⁷ But he said: Idle, ye are - idle, on this account, are, ye, saying, We must take our journey, we must sacrifice to Yahweh.¹⁸ Now, therefore, go labour, but, straw, shall not be given you, - yet the tale of bricks, shall ye render.¹⁹ Then did the overseers of the sons of Israel see themselves to be in an evil case, when it was said, - Ye shall not diminish from your bricks - the task of a day, in its day²⁰ So they fell upon Moses and upon Aaron, stationing themselves to meet them, - as they came forth from Pharaoh;²¹ and they said unto them, Yahweh look upon you and judge, - in that ye have made us odious in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, putting a sword into their hand to slay us.²² And Moses returned unto Yahweh and said, - O My Lord wherefore hast thou caused harm to this people? Wherefore now didst thou send me?²³ seeing that from what time I came in unto Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done harm to this people, and thou hast not delivered, thy people,